Beneath the Surface
by catlover1033
Summary: AU Story. As a baby Nancy Drew's identity is lost in an attempt to spare her life at the scene of murder. More than 16 years later, Nancy, hardened and carrying scars, arrives at her newest foster home, the home of George Fayne, bringing her to Bayport High School and introducing her to Frank, Joe, and a whole new world. Soon they all are entangled in a mystery. Abuse, swearing.
1. Prologue

_**Against all better judgement, more accurately, with zero amount of good judgement I have decided to start this story.**_

**_I am actually almost done with it! Which means more regular updates yay! :)_**

**_IMPORTANT NOTE: _**

**_This is an AU story. If that's not your thing, move along. If you're looking for the traditional Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy story, this is not it. This is a story where I explore the crazy possibility of what Nancy's story could have been like if she had ended up in foster care. Because, if you haven't noticed, I like to twist and invent what is already there in crazy crazy ways. One of my reviewers very accurately told me: "... your stories refuse to fit in!" (which they thought was positive yay! :) but I understand that not everyone feels that way which is understandable) Nancy, as circumstances demand, is going to be somewhat out of character, meaning, her character will be adapted to her environment. And no I'm not perfect. So it won't be perfect. Sorry. I wish I could be perfect. But maybe that would be a little boring... Anyways._**

**_Did you know foster care is a messed up system? I know there are good things happening, but this story attempts to show both sides. Perhaps with a little more emphasis on the bad part._**

**_It actually isn't a place I've been in, so if you have, please let me know what you think, tell me your story, and hopefully nothing offends anyone._**

**_Introducing Catlover1033's Newest Crazy Out Of The Box Story That Will Probably Cause A Lot of People To Be Mad At Her_**

**_Beneath The Surface_**

Somewhere deep in the forest, the cry of a baby wavered on the air.

A car door slammed and there was the slight crunch of heavy boots on twigs and undergrowth.

Two men examined the crumpled mess that was a car, bent around a tree.

"Think he's dead?" The taller asked the other.

"One way to find out." The shorter stockier man walked to the driver's side and peered in, careful not to touch anything. He examined the gruesome scene inside the car and then stepped back. "Pretty sure he's dead but if he isn't, he will be when we light the car up."

The baby's cry came weakly from the back seat again.

The stocky man began pouring gasoline all over the car.

Not able to help himself, the first man peeked into the backseat.

The car seat had done its job. Safely cradled in the straps and fabric lay a very young child, maybe ten months old, blinking and staring right back at the man. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce right through him as she stared, tears drying on chubby cheeks, wisps of red blonde hair sticking up all over the place.

The man stepped back.

"What about the baby?" he asked.

"What about her? We knew she would be in the car."

The first man paused. He knew he couldn't but he looked back in the car. The baby was staring straight at him again.

She reminded him of his own daughter, born a couple years ago. He remembered holding her for the first time, staring into those chocolate eyes, admiring her perfect hazelnut colored skin. So different from this baby, and yet so similar.

He hadn't seen his daughter for two years. He briefly wondered how she looked now, if the black fuzz on her head had grown into to lots and lots of tiny little ponytails, fastened by colorful hair bands. Or maybe little mini cornrows, like his baby sister had growing up.

Maybe he could drop by after this job. A part of him jumped with excitement at the idea, mind wandering, dreaming... But he knew he had to stay away. All he could do was send the cash in the mail and pray that someday his little girl would understand why daddy could never be home.

This baby no longer had a daddy, thanks to him.

He stepped closer.

The baby before him, in the smouldering car, began coughing. Smoke was swirling from the crumpled engine. The car would flame up soon. They just had to make sure the flames were hot enough to burn away any evidence of tampering.

Listening to the tiny little coughs, the man turned his back, trying to keep his resolve.

He lost it after a couple seconds, peering back into the car, not able to tear himself away for some reason. The baby was coughing still. She raised one hand up, like a silent plea for help, towards the window the man was spying on her from.

"Let's take the baby," the man said suddenly to the stocky one.

"What?!"

"We're taking her." The tall man pried open the bent back door and began fighting with straps and buckles, finally extracting the baby out of her carseat.

"What the hell are you doing Carlos?!" The stocky man ran up to him. "Have you lost your effing mind? She has to go up with the car! No survivors, no evidence..."

"I don't murder babies, Santi." Carlos held the baby tightly to his chest. She was silent except for occasionally coughing.

Santi was silent for a moment, staring at the baby then back at the smoldering car. They were running out of time, they had to get the fire really going and get out.

Two crystal blue eyes examined him innocently. Tiny little rose colored lips quivered slightly.

"Okay then what do we do with her?" Santi hissed. "If the Boss finds out..."

"We'll take her with us. Drop her off at a farmhouse in a different state. Two, three states out. On our way back. There's no way they could trace her back to the crash if we do that. We leave a note, it says "We can't take care of her anymore" or some crap like that. Cops think she died in the fire in the car, it'll be so burnt they won't be none the wiser. Neither will the Boss. No way anybody could find out."  
>They were silent for a moment, both assessing the proposition.<p>

"Okay, put her in our car. There's a box and some blankets, it'll have to do. I'm lighting this thing up." Santi pulled out a match.

Around fifteen minutes, a car skidded to a stop in front of the burning inferno of what used to be a car. A call was made, firefighters came. There wasn't much left to save, crumbled blackened metal... A freak accident, they said. It was all over the news. Carson Drew was a beloved member of the River Heights community. It was a tragedy, that the young man and his little baby would follow the mother down to the grave so before their time. A tiny little family obliterated in the span of less than a year, by sickness and fire.

Two days later, the sun rose on a cornfield, shining down on a bundle in a cardboard box on the doorstep of the only building in sight, other than the large red barn behind it.

A dog barked somewhere in the tiny little white house and a elderly woman came yawning to the door. Her brow furrowed with confusion.

Hands trembling slightly, she pulled away the fabric covering the top of the box.

Two blue eyes blinked open to meet hers.

A note pinned to the blanket read "_We can't take care of her no more. Please give her what we couldn't_."

The woman took the baby inside, flustered, confused, calling for her husband. The dog barked. But the baby didn't cry. Her blue eyes were wide, taking in the world around her.

That night, taking off the grubby clothes that the child was in, exchanging them for what they had saved for a child of their own long long ago that never had the chance to grow up, they examined the tag of the baby's now filthy purple onesie.

In permanent marker, the tag had five little letters neatly written on it.

**Nancy**.

Four and a half years later, the elderly couple was dead. One heart attack and one broken heart.

A five year old girl was the one who made the call when the woman died a few weeks after the man. The small girl had no identification, no papers, nothing. She told the police she had been found on the doorstep of Joe and Christine Parker's door as a baby. They were old fashioned, raised on a farm themselves, and had never even taken the girl to the doctor or dentist. The neighbors, far and elderly themselves, didn't even know the girl existed.

A couple days later, Nancy Parker was placed in her first foster home.

**_Review, tell me what you think (as long as it's constructive!) and most importantly, go out and love cats and dogs. And sushi. And pumpkin pie._**


	2. Introductions

_**Whooo on with the storyyyyyy :)**_

**_Couple notes: _**

**_Joe might seem OC but I wanted to explore more of his struggle with Iola's death. I also changed the circumstances of her death for the story. If you haven't noticed, I don't really have any qualms about twisting and changed up the story. That's what Fanfiction is, right?_**

**_Reviews are nice!_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys._**

* * *

><p>Nancy unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her single suitcase and walked straight past her social worker.<p>

New house, new people, new problems to add to the old ones.

Nancy paused and looked at the building before her. The house was nicer than any she had been assigned to before. It looked large and nice, two stories, white with wooden trim. The yards were fairly large, and a couple kids were kicking a ball around in a little park across the street.

"Nancy. Try to make this one work," Dave, her social worker, was almost pleading with her as they walked to the door. "These are nice people."

_Soon I'll only have a year to go. Then in a year I'll be 18 and out of here. _

She was supposed to be going to group home when things got switched around last minute and well, here she was, about to enter another foster family who had a spot that had just opened up.

The door opened to reveal a kind looking woman with brown eyes and long black hair. Nancy could tell she was nervous by the way her fingers twisted her wedding ring around and around her finger.

"Come in, come in! You must be Nancy!" the woman pushed the door wider, ushering them in.

The house _was _nice. It was clean and nicely decorated, but comfortable. Pictures of children were everywhere, three children, all with black hair, elder boy, girl, then younger boy.

A man with greying hair put his hand on the woman's shoulder, giving Nancy a warm smile which she did not return.

"I've really got to run," Dave practically fled the scene. Nancy watched him leave her alone in her new home without an ounce of emotion. Her expression was even and blank, exactly as it had been when she had gotten out of the car. Exactly how it had been when she had gotten into the car around half an hour ago.

"Welcome to the Fayne home! Please call me Jenna."  
>"And I'm Alex," the father offered his hand. Nancy took it hesitantly and dropped it as soon as she could.<p>

"Hello, I'm George."

Nancy turned to find an athletic looking teenage girl smiling at her. She looked just like her mother, except her black hair was cut short and her brown eyes were a little more blue.

"Hello," Nancy nodded. The family had a girl her own age. That could get ugly.

"I'm Scott!"

There was the younger boy from all the pictures all around. He had a slightly turned up nose sprinkled with freckles, and like the girl and the mom, black hair and blue eyes.

"Hello." Nancy shifted. She was silent.

"Here, you must be a bit overwhelmed. George, why don't you show Nancy up to her room? We'll go over rules and such later."

Nancy followed George down the stairs to the basement.

She didn't know what to think about this family. They seemed nice. Like, actually nice. But she knew she would have to wait until she made any judgements. Several houses had seemed nice on the outside and turned out to be hell on the inside.

* * *

><p>George was unsure what to think of this girl.<p>

When her parents had initially proposed the idea of being foster parents, George had balked at the thought. She had heard horror story upon horror story. The kids were mean, tough, and wouldn't hesitate to steal, cheat, and bite. She didn't want that to tear apart her own family.

Then again, as she learned about the huge need for safe homes for these kids, she had agreed with her parents. They had an opportunity to make a huge difference in someone's life.

But no way had she expected their first kid to be a girl her own age.

Enter a slender strawberry blonde in a baggy t-shirt and tight jeans.

The girl was stunning. But there was something hard about those large blue eyes. George could practically see the high strong walls around the teen.

"Is that all you have?" George gestured to the tattered suitcase and backpack Nancy had.

"Yes." Nancy's face held no expression.

"Alright, this is your room," George came to Nancy's room.

Nancy peered in and saw it was more like a closet really. It had no windows. There were even brooms and a vacuum cleaner in it. However there was a bed, and that wasn't something Nancy had everywhere.

"Okay." Nancy started to go in. She had seen worse. She would take what was given.

"Nancy." George's brown eyes had a funny look in them. "Nancy, that's our tornado room, you know, in case of a tornado we all go down here. We mostly just use it for storage. That's not your room."

"Oh."

"This is your room," George gestured to the door on her other side, which Nancy hadn't noticed, opening it.

A huge window let light stream in through white curtains. There was a large bed, covered with a beautiful purple flowered comforter. A bookshelf stood against one wall, filled with books, and there was a closet full of clothes.

"This is not my room." Nancy turned to look at George.

George was unsure what to do, shaken slightly that Nancy had thought and completely accepted they would place her in a windowless _closet_.

"It is, actually. My room is right across the hall and Scott's is around the corner, so is my older brother's but he's in the army so he doesn't get to come home often. We kids get the basement, ground floor is all the living area, and first floor is where my parents bedroom is and the guest bedroom and the office," George explained. "I can give you a tour..."

"No thank you." Nancy stepped away from George, picking up her one battered suitcase.

"Do you want help with anything?" George hovered at the door.

"No." Nancy was opening her suitcase, her back to the other girl.

"Alright, well I'll just be upstairs on the main floor. Let me know if you need anything."

Confused and fairly disheartened, George left the room.

* * *

><p>Nancy watched her go, then went to her backpack and grabbed out a folder.<p>

She didn't need things to be written down to remember them but laying everything out helped her take a step back and figure out the clues.

First Nancy's gaze hovered on a picture of a blonde teen. Her eyes then drifted to the list of names and numbers. Most were crossed off.

She sighed and sat back, looking at the other random pieces of paper, filled with writing and numbers on them, in front of her.

Nancy paused and looked around her room.

It was nice. Beyond nice.

She didn't trust it.

Nancy shook the thought out of her head. She didn't need to be distracted. This house was temporary. They'd probably be making the call for her to move on in a couple days.

* * *

><p>Joe Hardy stared at his paper, doodling.<p>

He could see Frank studiously taking notes next to him.

When he was younger, Frank's presence would have been comforting. But now Joe just wanted to be alone. He wished he hadn't come to school at all.

Part of him wondered if the teachers had teamed up with his parents to get him in the elective art class with Frank.

It made it a lot harder to skip when you knew you had an older brother with hawk eyes on the lookout.

"Joe Hardy!"

Joe nearly fell out of his chair.

"Were you listening at all to my summary of Van Gogh's different periods?" Ms. Harrison peered down her nose at the young blonde.

"Yes," Joe lied with a disturbing lack of his usual gusto.

"Alright, let's hear some of the information I just imparted to your young brains in the last fifteen minutes," Ms. Harrison narrowed her steely eyes.

Students around the class gave Joe sympathetic looks. Joe just clenched his jaw.

"I wasn't paying attention." Joe's voice was flat, without emotion.

"Joe Hardy, you will come here after school for detention."

He didn't put up a fight. He just started doodling on his paper again.

"Well, it's fun having art together," Frank remarked dryly as the two brothers walked down the hall of Bayport High together.

"Yeah. Really fun." Joe didn't even look at his brother.

Without another word, Joe turned the corner, leaving his brother without a word.

Frank sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Hey, doing okay?" A hand clapped his shoulder. Frank turned to find Tony Prito standing behind him, curly black hair as crazy as always.

"Yeah," Frank shrugged.

They all could see the difference in Joe after Iola's death.

The whole school was still recovering. They all knew it had been coming, as much as they had prayed and hoped for a miracle, for doctors to discover the right treatment...

Frank sighed again. He knew it wasn't fair, after all that Chet and his family was still going through, but he sometimes felt like he had lost his brother right along with Iola.

"Give him time," Tony said.

"He hasn't gotten any better, it's been months and he still won't talk to me about _anything_," Frank clenched his jaw. " I know my parents thought it might be helpful for him if we were in a class together, but I think he hates me even more!"

"I'm sorry." Tony wasn't sure what to say.

"Not your fault." Frank sighed. "Come on, let's go to science."

The pair began walking down the hall, weaving in and out of the crowds of students. Several girls tried to catch Frank's eye, but he didn't even notice anything, lost in his thoughts.

Until he suddenly slammed straight into a slender figure and they both went crashing to the ground.

"Whoa, I'm so sorry..." Frank scrambled to help gather the textbooks that had flown out of the person's grip upon collision. He looked up and found himself looking at a slender girl, probably about his age. She was intent on recapturing the remaining runaway books. Her t-shirt was loose but he could tell the girl had a _tiny_ frame, despite being an average height.

"Uh... You okay?" Frank offered the books to the girl. She kept her face slightly down, a beanie pulled down over her head, strawberry blond hair spilling out onto her shoulders.

The girl looked up and Frank found himself staring into the bluest eyes he had ever seen. They were huge in her pretty face and he couldn't seem to tear himself from their scrutiny.

"Sorry about that, I'm..." Frank began.

"Watch where you're going," the girl grabbed the books Frank was holding out and walked straight past him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Welp, you've met everyone!<strong>_

_**Oh Nancy. I have a feeling it's going to take her awhile to open up to people (trust me it's just a feeling, nothing to do with being the author or anything)**_

_**Reviews are lovely :) Unless they're mean cause those make me sad**_


	3. First Days

_**OH MY GOSH I FORGOT TO THANK MY REVIEWERS LAST CHAPTER WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?**_

_**But actually though, you all are amazing! :) **_

_**And without further ado, here is the next chappie! **_

_**I don't own things.**_

* * *

><p>Nancy kept her face completely blank as she walked into the science classroom and found a seat at the very back. She hated first days. She had gone through more of them than she cared to remember. A new home, a new place, new school... What was the point? She never got to stay in one place long enough to make friends, so there really wasn't much use trying.<p>

George was trying to be her friend. They had this class together, and she had offered to meet her outside the class so they could go in together, but Nancy had declined the offer, along with every other offer of help and friendship the girl had given over the weekend. She had introduced Nancy to several friends, including her blond cousin Bess. Nancy had been polite and nothing more. She didn't initiate conversation, and she shut down small talk as soon as she could.

Nancy felt a flicker of remorse at the cold treatment she was giving George, but she was unsure how to react. It was most likely out of pity. She couldn't bring herself to engage George because she wasn't sure it was worth the effort. Another part of her, even though she had a feeling it might be different in this home, was trained in the fact that being invisible was the safest.

Nancy's thoughts wandered to her new home. It was by far the nicest place she had been at. They all had meals together, the food was good and in generous supply. Nothing was locked up either. Nancy had been in homes where cabinets and fridges were padlocked to prevent the multiple foster kids packed in the home from 'stealing'. The problem was that the innocent kids often went without food so the caregiver could keep a little more money in their pocket.

Nancy suddenly shivered, shutting her eyes briefly. She couldn't forget that home, that one home... Somehow she _knew_ it was connected to Emily.

But she had a dreadful feeling that either she played cat or she was the mouse. She had to find out what exactly had happened.

Because she was positive Emily hadn't just fallen out of contact.

And she was going to find her.

Nancy smiled slightly.

The world might think she was just some dumb, worthless foster kid, and maybe she was. But if she had learned anything from years in the system, it was determination.

The smile disappeared as the tall brown haired boy who had bodyslammed her in the hallway walked into the classroom, followed by his olive skinned friend with the wild black hair.

Well maybe he didn't bodyslam her. But she had been too exhausted and worn to engage him. It was too much effort to make.

From across the room, she examined him. He paused to talk to George and Bess. As he walked by a guy with glasses and a nervous twitch, he clapped the boy on the shoulder, said a couple words Nancy couldn't make out, and moved on to his seat in the front row.

He seemed like a nice guy. Although very attractive, Nancy had to admire more than that the fact that he didn't strut around like he knew it.

A bell rung and the class settled quickly in a way that only accelerated classes do.

"Hello class! Today we are continuing our labs, so just get into your lab groups and... Oh!" Mr. Barton finally noticed Nancy's presence at the back of the room. "You must be Nancy Parker."

All heads turned to look back at the student the teacher was referring to.

Nancy nodded.

"Alright, well welcome Nancy! In AP Physics, we go at a pretty fast pace but I'm sure you'll catch up in no time. Why don't you..." Barton scratched his stubbly white beard, brown eyes scanning the room. "Why don't you you join Frank and George's group, since their partner Zack isn't here today and you already know George. Get to work everyone!"

Frank and George made their way to Nancy. She busied herself with arranging her school stuff that the Faynes had given her.

"Hey Nancy. Sorry about running into you in the hall. Nice to meet you properly. I'm Frank Hardy." He offered his hand.

Nancy's eyes sparked with recognition at the name. She had read the name Hardy in the newspaper recently. Quickly she mentally compared images of the person she was thinking of to Frank's face, age...

"Is Fenton Hardy your dad?"

"Yes, actually he is. Do... do you know him?" Frank's brow furrowed. He lowered his offered hand that Nancy had ignored along with his apology.

"No, I don't." Nancy picked up a physics lab paper and began reading it, completely ignoring George and Frank.

Frank gave George a confused look, and the black haired girl shrugged.

"Alright, let's get started then."

* * *

><p>"Nancy is your family's new foster kid," Frank restated the information George had given him.<p>

"Wait, _she's_ the foster kid your family has been training and preparing to get?" Chet's mouth fell open. "But she's... she's our age!"

"Yeah, I thought you were getting like a little kid or something," Frank agreed.

"It's not like we get to pick out who we want. She needed a place, we had one. That's how it works," George huffed.

"So she's going to be staying with you for... for awhile?" Chet asked.

"_Yes._ And she completely ignores me and every single offer of friendship I've given. She literally has initiated zero conversations since she came on Saturday," George sighed.

"Don't give up yet," Bess put an encouraging hand on her cousin's shoulder. "It's only been a little while."

"I know." George shifted her backpack.

"Well this is me. See ya'll later!" Chet clapped Frank on the shoulder and climbed up the steps to a cute yellow house.

George had invited Nancy to walk home with them, but she had declined the invitation.

"Alright, I gotta go. I'll come over after dinner!" Bess peeled off their route to run into her own house.

"How's Joe?" George asked Frank as they continued on alone.

"A lot like your foster sister actually," Frank sighed.

They walked in silence for a bit, each engrossed in their own thoughts, until they got to the Hardy house.

"Let's work on our physics lab tonight," George suggested.

"Sure. I'll come over," Frank agreed. "I'll text you when I'm heading over."

"See you later."

When she walked down to the basement to put her things in her room, Nancy's bedroom door was shut.

NDHBNDHBNDHBNDHBNDHB

* * *

><p>"Hi, my name is Emily Johnson and I am here to visit Valery Johnson," Nancy leaned slightly against the counter, smiling.<p>

"Oh!" the secretary looked Nancy up and down. "Are you her daughter?"

"Yes. These, _are_ the visiting hours, right?" Nancy's blue eyes were wide and innocent.

"Oh sweetie, visitation hours are in the early afternoon..."

"But I'm still in school," Nancy's lip quivered. "My foster parents wouldn't let me skip to come see her..."

The secretary hesitated, her dark eyes crinkling with sympathy. Then she leaned forward.

"I'll see what I can do," she whispered.

Five minutes later, Nancy quietly entered a room alone where a middle aged woman was sitting.

The woman's blond hair was thin, her skin sagging, eyes slightly bloodshot.

"Mrs. Johnson." Nancy sat down as the lady's grey eyes flickered over her.

"You're sure as hell not my daughter," Valery Johnson growled.

"I know." Nancy put down her backpack and sat down on a chair. "But I am Emily's friend. I'm worried about her. She's disappeared."  
>"Disappeared? She just turned 18, yeah, yeah her birthday, it was a couple weeks ago..." Valery let her head sag for a moment, confusion clear on her face. Then her head snapped back up. "She said she'd visit. Yeah. She said she'd come see me, soon as she was out of the system."<p>

"She promised you that?" Nancy leaned forward.

"Yeah, yeah. And I told her I'd get cleaned up. Actually this time. For real."

"_For real, just like the last five times?"_ Nancy muttered under her breath. "So you don't think she would have left."

"No. No way. But she didn't visit... Yeah. She didn't visit, like she was gunna, when she turned 18..."

Nancy gave a polite goodbye and left.

* * *

><p>"Hey man." Frank sat down at the table beside his little brother, taking a bite from his cereal.<p>

Joe didn't answer.

"Hey bud, good morning," Frank tried again.

Joe grunted, playing with his cereal.

"Joe." Frank put down his spoon completely in shock that his brother was full out ignoring him. It had happened so many times recently but he still couldn't get used to it.

How does you get used to your best friend and brother completely shutting you out?

"Morning." Joe got up. Frank suddenly could see the dark circles below his eyes with alarming clarity.

"Hey, Joe..." Frank started, but Joe was already up the stairs. A minute later his door closed.

Frank sighed, frustration coursing through him. He slumped back in his chair, running a hand through his dark hair.

He paused, looking out the window. A jogger was running by, lithe and speedy...

Hold on.  
>That was Nancy Parker.<p>

Frank tore himself away from the window.

If anyone was a mystery, it was that girl.

She was so cold. Those beautiful crystal blue eyes were always hard. Frank couldn't seem to get a single emotion out of her, even though he had tried every single day of the week in physics. It was like there was a brick wall built tall and thick around her.

Frank wondered if she had built that wall to protect herself from something.

And maybe that was what intrigued him so much. Somehow he didn't believe that Nancy Parker was the hard cold girl she presented. He had never seen her hurt anybody. He had once spotted her at school helping a freshman pick up her books. And seen her speak gently to one of the janitors, helping hold a door open...

Not that he had been watching her. Not at all.

Okay maybe a little bit.

But not really.

He had no idea how to get her to put down those walls. It was too soon.

Hell, he couldn't even figure out how to get his own brother to talk to him.  
>Frank sighed and turned away from the window.<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Reviews are delightful! :)<strong>_


	4. Two Steps Forward

**_Why hello there..._**

**_*ducks as a rotten tomato is thrown*_**

**_I can explain! Please! Don't leave! _**

**_Here's what happened:_**

**_College, homework, finals, somewhat of a mental breakdown, two days of crying, sickness, and some more crying. And I'm still sick._**

**_BUT I AM DONE NOW BECAUSE I SURVIVED FINALS AND MY FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE AND I NOW AM FREE AND HAVE TIME AND DON'T HAVE TO HAVE MENTAL BREAKDOWNS ANY MORE! WHOOOOOOO!_**

**_Anyways, please accept my apologies.  
>Here is a nice long chapter for you!<br>Thanks friends :)_**

* * *

><p>After a week and a half with the Faynes, Nancy was starting to almost like her new home. She wasn't quite ready to admit it. It was <em>okay<em> she supposed cautiously.

Everybody was so _nice_. And even better, she felt almost... safe. Nobody yelled, kicked, hit... She had plenty to eat. And although she kept shutting them all out, they kept trying to reach out. It had been more than ten days, and they were still constantly trying.

It was incredibly annoying but kind of touching at the same time.

Nancy had to struggle not to take thirds of the pasta Jenna had made for dinner. It was _amazing_. Ever since joining the Fayne family, the constant dull ache of hunger she was so used to was fading.

"This is really good," Nancy looked at Jenna.

The table was so silent that Nancy could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was staring at her. The words were the first ones Nancy had voluntarily offered without being asked a question.

"Why thank you, Nancy," Jenna recovered from her surprise, beaming, eyes crinkling. Nancy saw George exchange a look with her father.

"Alright, Nancy, today you have dishwasher duty, George, clearing the table and counters, Scott, pots and pans," Jenna briskly moved the family into action.

Nancy obediently began loading the dishwasher.

"I hate this," Scott pouted. He wasn't quite tall enough to comfortably reach the sink. "Wanna switch, Nancy?"

"Nope." A ghost of a smile spread across Nancy's face as Scott's pout grew.

"George?" Scott tried.

"Not a chance, Scott," George grinned, handing a plate to Nancy.

George was the most determined, level headed girl Nancy knew. After over a week with her, Nancy could already tell she didn't put up with _any_ nonsense. She kept trying to get Nancy to be her friend, but didn't give up after Nancy shut her down, time after time after time.

Nancy had to admit it. She admired her. And although she kept pushing George away, each time she was a little afraid George would finally give up and leave her alone.

Even though that was what she wanted, _right?_

It was confusing.

A black lab burst into the kitchen, pausing to lick Nancy's foot.

"Togo!" Nancy dropped to her knees, petting the dog, practically wrestling with her.

George laughed as Scott tried to butt in and get some affection from Togo as well.

Ever since Nancy had come, Togo wanted nothing but Nancy. She had started sleeping on Nancy's bed a couple days ago.

The most open she had ever seen Nancy was with the dog. She watched Nancy laugh, smile... George had never heard Nancy laugh other than when she was with Togo. Even after over a week, Nancy was completely shutting them all out. George was mostly frustrated. What was the girl's problem? Couldn't she see that they were nice, trying to be friends with her? None of them had succeeded to get anything but the shortest answers possible out of the seventeen year old.

She knew Nancy was still adjusting and was very new, but would it kill her to _try_?

George remembered Nancy's compliment to Mom at the dinner table and smiled as she watched Nancy and Scott play with Togo. Maybe there was some hope.

Togo had been at the vet for a spading surgery the day Nancy had arrived. George remembered the way Nancy's blue eyes lit up when she heard they had a young dog, probably the first sign of emotion George had been able to perceive.

Nancy literally talked to Togo more than anybody else. At school, Nancy was about the same as at home. She didn't talk to anybody, disappeared at lunch, sat in the back of the class if she could...

"Hey, Togo, treat!" George tried to grab the dog's attention. Togo stopped licking Nancy's face and tilted her head.

"Hey, no fair," Nancy exclaimed as Togo ran towards George. Her usually stony face was laughing, her strawberry blond hair bouncing around her shoulders. George couldn't help but think this girl looked completely different from the Nancy Parker they were struggling to reach. If only she could figure out how to bring this laughing Nancy Parker out without a wriggling dog.

"The one who has the treat has the dog," George teased.

"Togo!" Nancy clapped her hands, still sitting on the kitchen floor. "Togo, come here girl!"  
>"Treat!" George reminded Togo, waving the milkbone.<p>

Without hesitation, the black lab ran towards Nancy. George's mouth fell open.

Her labrador retriever had chosen Nancy over _food_.

What. The. Heck.

Nancy laughed at George's surprised face, a sudden feeling of happiness rushing over her as George began laughing with her as well. The black haired girl sat down on the floor next to Nancy and they coddled the dog together.

* * *

><p>Nancy couldn't quite wipe the smile from her face as she headed downstairs to her room. Togo padded behind her, tail wagging.<p>

She pulled out her battered phone that she had loaded with some money at the last home, and checked for messages.

The smile disappeared from her face as she looked at the screen.

Nancy's mind went to the car keys that hung on a hook by the garage door.

She hesitated and read over the message again.

The family was watching TV when Nancy crept upstairs. They did not even know she was there, and quickly she was gone.

The hook where the car keys swung was empty when she left.

So was the cabinet in the places where one cereal box, four energy bars, and a bag of cookies usually sat.

Nancy went back into her room, distractedly petting Togo who was asleep on her bed, and quickly typed and sent a message.

The phone buzzed back almost immediately. Nancy read the text, her face blank.

She went to the closet, pulled out some of the clothes the Fayne's had given her and put them on the bed. She then picked out a couple books on the bookshelf and placed them on the bed as well. Finally she fished out a black hoodie out of her suitcase and pulled it on. The slender strawberry blond stuffed the books, food, and clothes into her backpack and opened her window, climbed out, and headed for the Fayne's car.

* * *

><p>Joe Hardy dug a wad of cash out of his pocket.<p>

"Here you go."

Joe shifted his weight, rubbed his nose and glanced around the empty parking lot as the man counted the money.

"You're twenty short," the man looked up.

Joe narrowed his eyes.

"I counted it before I came. It's all there."

"You suggesting I'm cheating you?" the man's dark eyebrows rose dangerously.

"I'm just saying you're changing the price on me or pretending I didn't give all the money when I did. You probably slipped a twenty into your pocket while I looked away, now you'll count out the money in front of me, twenty will be gone..."

Joe fell back from the blow to his jaw. Kicks rained upon his ribs. He squirmed, yelling, trying to get up.

Suddenly the pressure holding him down was gone.

Joe winced and sat up to see a slim red haired girl standing in front of the dealer, who was doubled over, clutching his groin.

"Did your usual twenty into the pocket trick, didn't you Charlie?" the girl crossed her arms.

She turned to glance at Joe and he got a look at her face for the first time.

She was drop dead gorgeous, with large blue eyes and delicate cheekbones, but her face was as hard as stone. Her slender form was all muscle, Joe deduced from the way Charlie was almost curled on the ground crying.

"Go to hell, Nancy Parker," Charlie spit out.

The girl, apparently named Nancy Parker, kicked him in the side, causing him to groan.

"You go to hell and stay away from little kids. You know what I'm talking about."

"Who I sell to is none of your business."

"I know you tried to sell to a ten year old. Who you sell to is my business when you're trying to get _kids_ hooked on pot." Nancy kicked him again. "Especially ones who have enough problems to begin with without addictions."

"You don't tell me what to do! I sell to who I want!" Charlie growled and lunged at her. One fist caught her jaw, but she kneed Charlie hard in the stomach and solidly punched him in the face. The man fell back, blood streaming from a broken nose, groaning.

Calmly Nancy pulled out a wad of cash from one of Charlie's pockets and tossed it carelessly to Joe.

"Take your money and get out of here."

"I came here to make a purchase." Joe crossed his arms, standing up. He had watched the exchange silently but now felt like he had to say something.

"Oh, this?" Nancy pulled out a little plastic baggy filled with chunks of green from a different pocket.

"Yeah," Joe stepped forward.

The girl opened the bag and dumped the contents on the ground, grinding it into the dirt with one of her worn sneakers.

"Hey!" Joe snapped. He stepped forward, hands clenched into fists.

"Going to try to hit me?" The girl looked at him evenly. Suddenly Joe realized what he was doing. He lowered his arm shakily. _God, what was he doing? What was he doing here in the first place?_

"You're Frank Hardy's brother, aren't you?" the girl stepped closer, examining him.

Joe was silent. He was sure he had never seen this girl before in his life.

"You have the exact same nose," the girl explained. "Same jawline too."

Joe stared at her.

"I live in your neighborhood. You go into the same house, okay?" Nancy sighed. "Although you do look somewhat similar."

"Really?" Joe narrowed his eyes. "I'm supposed to be the better looking one."

"No comment," Nancy's lips twitched.

"Oh wait, I know who you are! You're the Fayne's new foster kid!" Joe exclaimed. "Frank mentioned you at dinner. Yeah, you go to Bayport High, I've just never seen you there. We're not in the same grade."

"I didn't really expect to meet you like this," Nancy said, raising an eyebrow.

Joe's face paled.

"Relax, I'm not going to tell on you. But take my advice. You're not a bad kid. Take your money and get out of here. I don't know what you're doing here, but let me tell you, this," the girl nudged the green flakes now mixed with the dirt at her feet, "is not going to make you happy."

Joe shoved the wad of cash into his pocket left, feeling shaken.

Nancy waited until he was out of sight then turned back to Charlie. He had been silent during Nancy's conversation with Joe.

"Shit, Nancy," Charlie spit blood onto the ground. "What do you want now? I'll stay away from the kids, I promise."

"I need some information. Tell me what you know about Emily Johnson," Nancy demanded.

"I don't know nothing. She disappeared after turning eighteen."

"Think she left the area?"

"She didn't have money," Charlie groaned. "She was always paying up late, barely scratching by."

"Hooked till she disappeared?"

"She was trying to quit. Getting there too. She said she didn't want to be like her mom."

"Tanner said you were in the Zady house with her when you were still in the system."

Charlie's face paled slightly.

"The Zady house was creepy as hell. Something was wrong there."  
>"I know. I was in it too for awhile," Nancy said quietly. "I need to know how they treated Emily when she was there."<p>

"Shit, Nancy, I wasn't home much. You know." Charlie looked uncomfortable.

"Tell me."

"They took a liking to her. You know what I mean."

"Shit. Alright, thanks Charlie."

"Hey, you know what, Sophie's disappeared too."

"Sophie Adare?" Nancy's eyebrows rose. "I thought she got a job in the area."

"Yeah she did. She was doing good, we talk every now and then but I can't reach her anymore. She probably doesn't want to do anything with me now but I don't know."

"Was she buying from you?"

"Nah, she kept clean. She's a good kid. Kind of like a little sister to me."

"So you think something might have happened?"

"Don't know for sure." Charlie groaned and spat blood onto the ground. "Shit, Nancy you did a number on me."

"You deserved it."

Charlie didn't argue.

"How's your new home?"  
>"You stay away from it. They're actually decent people." Nancy straightened.<p>

"They got money?"

"Stay away from them." Nancy's blue eyes were suddenly as hard as steel, dangerous.

"Got it," Charlie winced.

"And stay away from Joe Hardy," Nancy added.

"Fine," Charlie sighed.

Nancy didn't cast him a second look as she walked away. She had some things to deliver before she went back to the Fayne's house.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Oh Joe, what are you getting into? <strong>_

_**Please don't kill me!**_

_**Thanks ya'll**_

_**Reviews are cough medicine to the author's phlegm filled soul. (That sounded less weird in my head... I've had a cold for awhile...)**_


	5. One Step Back

_**Aw you guys are the best. Thanks for the beautiful lovely reviews and encouragement!**_

_**Here's another long chapter for you all! I'm a bit nervous how you all will like this chapter, so please let me know! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys**_

* * *

><p>"Nancy, we are <em>very<em> disappointed in you! What an earth possessed you to take our car out for a drive?! In the middle of the night!" Alexander Fayne's face was stern.

Nancy stared straight ahead, her face completely blank.

She was ready to be sent on, punished, whatever they had in store. But she didn't regret what she had done. She did regret the silent disappointment she had seen on the faces of all the family members. It hurt more than she thought it would, but she had no idea why.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw George watching from the staircase. The girl's brown eyes were unreadable.

"We almost called the police!" Alexander continued. Jenna, standing by him, looked less angry and more upset.

Alexander Fayne took a step forward and Nancy's heartbeat quickened involuntarily.

"_You little bitch!" A slap threw her back._

"_Get in there!" She was shoved into the gaping darkness of a tiny closet, door slammed in her face, scrambling in the darkness to find a way out..._

"_We give you a place to stay, take care of you, and god damn it, you rob us! This'll make you think twice about taking from us next time!"_

When Alexander took another step towards her, anger burning in his dark eyes, Nancy couldn't help it. She flinched and raised her hands to protect her face.

No pain came.

She lowered her arms.

Alexander and Jenna were staring at her. All anger was gone from their expressions.

"I was just going to ask for the keys back," Alexander's voice was low.

Nancy dropped them in his hand, avoiding all eye contact. She could see out of the corner of her eye that George was still watching.

She was silent, face emotionless.

"Please, Nancy, just tell us why you did it," Jenna pleaded, stepping forward and laying a gentle hand on Nancy's shoulder. Nancy jumped away at the contact, head spinning.

"Don't touch me!" She stepped back, crossing her arms, face hard and angry.

"Nancy..."

"Get the hell away from me!"

Nancy pushed past them, and flew down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Nancy was sitting on her bed, staring at the wall, when she heard a soft knock on the door.<p>

Quickly she schooled her face into an emotionless mask.

She went to the door and unlocked it before she knew what she was doing.

George was on the other side.

"Hey," she said quietly.

Nancy turned away.

"What do you want?" she hardened her voice.

"Just wanted to check if you were okay."

An sudden surge of anger filled Nancy.

"Yes, I'm _fine_! I don't need your pity! Why won't you just go away and leave me alone!"

If George had been Bess, she would have run away crying.

But George was George and she just crossed her arms and sat down on Nancy's bed, looking slightly pissed. The strawberry blonde was perched on the edge of the bed, her back to George.

"I don't have any pity for you. I actually genuinely care for people in general, even when they act like complete assholes and steal my family's car."

"Don't you dare call me an asshole." Nancy's face was hard as steel, her eyes piercing.

"I wasn't calling you an asshole, I was just saying you acted like one," George said evenly.

"You don't know why I do what I do.

"Then tell me."

The room was silent. George began examining it.

"Some of the clothes we got you are gone. So are some books," she observed.

Nancy stared at the wall. She actually had a nice home and she screwed it up. She didn't trust them, any of them, but they were nicer than anybody had been to her in a long time. It wasn't anything they had done that caused her not to trust them. She knew the evil people were capable of. She didn't trust anyone. Anybody could betray the trust given to them.

But... this family seemed different. She was starting to almost feel safe. And even if George was persistent as hell, Nancy couldn't help but think the girl actually genuinely cared.

She had to ask the burning question that was rattling in her chest.

"Did you make the call?"

"What?"

"I said, did you make the call?" Nancy turned. "The call you make, to the social worker, asking him to find me a new home."

George looked taken aback.

"No."

A strange relief filled Nancy, rushing in. She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Did you think we would? After one mistake?"

Nancy was silent.

"Where did you go?" George asked. "Why did you do it?"

Nancy visibly closed off again, her face becoming blank, eyes hard.

As George lay in bed that night, she couldn't shake the memory of how Nancy had flinched when her dad had approached the her, the way her hands had automatically risen to protect the face.

But she also thought about the relief in Nancy's blue eyes when she realized she wasn't going to have to leave.

She had seen the faint bruise forming on the girl's jaw.

George would keep an eye on Nancy. She was pretty sure the girl had more secrets than she let on.

* * *

><p>"How was school, boys?" Fenton Hardy picked up his drink and took a sip.<p>

"Good. But I'm not looking forward to finals coming up," Frank made a face. "Everyone's really stressed out."

"You'll do just fine. Just do your best," Laura said encouragingly, giving her eldest son a smile.

"Joe?" They looked at Joe who hadn't said a word. The blonde haired teen was staring down at his plate, a usual stormy look on his face.

"What?" Joe growled.

"I asked how school was," Fenton said calmly, but Frank saw a muscle in his cheek twitch.

"Why can't you just leave me alone!" Joe yelled, standing up. "Just leave me alone, I don't want to be part of this stupid family!"

The family sat in stunned silence for a moment after Joe was gone.

Laura burst into tears, an extremely uncharacteristic action. The tension was killing them all slowly, day by day.

Frank left the table as his father tried to comfort his mother. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

Joe's door was locked.

"Joe, let me in." Frank was struggling not to lose his temper. He rarely got mad, but seeing his parents, his family being torn apart was enough to push him over the edge.

There was no answer.

"Joe, I am about to break this door down." Frank's voice was dangerous and serious.

Apparently Joe realized that Frank wasn't making empty threats and the door creaked open.

Frank's eyes widened.

The room was trashed. Things were broken, picture frames on the ground. Papers shredded, posters torn.

Joe stared at Frank, and for the first time in awhile, Frank actually _saw_ his brother.

He saw the dark circles under his blue eyes, the way his clothes were hanging loosely of his once sturdy frame. Most frightening was how dull the usually bright blue eyes were.

"Hey." Frank's anger drained away. He slowly walked into the room.

"Are you going to yell at me?" Joe shut the door.

"No." Frank sat on the bed. "Unless you want me to?"

Joe was silent.

"I almost punched a girl." He finally broke the quiet.

It was Frank's turn to be silent for a moment.

"I mean, if she was threatening your life or something..."

"No. I almost punched her because she was doing the right thing and I didn't want her to." Joe looked away. "I don't even recognize myself anymore."

Frank was afraid to breath, seeing the vulnerability in his brother's eyes when lately he had only seen hostility. He didn't want to break whatever spell seemed to be going on.

"I... I was trying to buy drugs, Frank."

Frank's heart clenched in his chest and he physically felt a stab of pain. But he kept listening. He wasn't sure Joe was even aware that he had an audience. His haunted blue eyes were fixed on something Frank couldn't see. "In the old days, when we had cases, we would put those guys behind bars. And I was going to buy from one. He tried to cheat me, started onto me and this girl shows up from nowhere, kicks him in the balls and gets on his case for trying to sell to little kids." Joe shook his head slowly. "Then she takes the drugs from the guy and dumps them on the ground, grinding them into the dirt. And I almost went after her. She did the right thing and I raised my fist. I don't understand what's going on in my head or anything. It's like I'm a different person. My sleep schedule is messed up, I'm never hungry... And I feel so empty. I can't even cry anymore."

Shivers travelled up Frank's spine at the emotionless expression on his little brother's face.

"I feel like there isn't anything inside of me. And different things help for a little bit but then I sit down in my room and I feel like the hole is huge. The emptiness is consuming me. I feel like I'm slowly drowning in it. But then other times, I lash out. I get so angry, at the world, at myself..."

"What happened to Iola wasn't your fault," Frank said quietly. "She had cancer. There was nothing you could have done."

"I promised her she was going to be okay," Joe finally met Frank's eyes, pain reflected in them. "I looked at her, before the final surgery and I said "Hey, it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay, I promise." And she died. How... how can so much life suddenly be taken away? One minute you're there, and the next you're an empty shell, a body... And I started thinking, the way I feel now, I'm kind of like that. A shell. It's like my body is numb, I can't feel anything. I can't even be around people anymore."

"Joe," Frank was on the verge of breaking down himself. He couldn't handle seeing his brother in so much pain, seeing him so hopeless... He was suddenly realizing that the issue was more serious than they had thought, so much more serious. And he was scared. "Joe, you are not empty. You mean so much to so many people. What happened to Iola wasn't your fault. I know, it's so hard to wrap your head around what happened. It's been really hard for everyone, her family... God, it's been so hard. But living in this sort of darkness is not normal. Joe, I think you have depression."

Joe's head turned.

"I thought this is how people are supposed to feel when someone dies," he said faintly.

"No, this is _not_ healthy mourning," Frank shook his head. "Can I talk to Mom and Dad? I won't go into specifics, I promise not to say anything about the drugs. But I think you need to see someone."

Joe stared at the wall.

"This is not an unusual thing for teens to go through," Frank continued. "I... I'm not supposed to tell anybody this, but Biff saw a counselor last year for depression."

Joe didn't say anything but his eyes told Frank that the piece of information was new and important to him.

"It doesn't mean you're crazy or weak. It's like when you got sick with strep throat that one time; you feel like crap, something's off, you go to the doctor, they help figure out what's wrong and work on helping you get better. I'm not going to lecture you on chemical imbalances because you would fall asleep..."

Joe actually smiled slightly at that.

"Can I tell Mom and Dad? Have them set up an appointment with someone for you?" Frank was practically pleading.

To his surprise, Joe actually nodded.

"I guess I could give it a try. You can tell them now," Joe shrugged. Frank knew he was trying to act nonchalant, but Frank knew the fact that Joe was accepting help meant he was desperate.

"I love you, man. I'm always here for you." Frank gave Joe a hug. The younger brother was tense but relaxed slightly. "Thanks for telling me."

Joe nodded, fidgeting, and Frank could see tears shining in his eyes.

"Hey. I mean it." Frank squeezed his shoulder. He headed for the door.

"Frank."

"Yeah bud?" Frank turned around.

"You know that girl I was talking about? Her name was Nancy Parker. The name might mean something to you."

Frank stared at Joe, his mouth hanging open. Joe grinned and Frank could suddenly see the old Joe for a second. He shook his head, pushed the information away to process later, and headed downstairs.

A couple minutes later, Frank had his parents sit down.

"I talked to Joe," he began and started laying out his realization.

* * *

><p><em><strong>What do you all think?<strong>_

_**I figured Joe would open up to Frank finally because he's hit a level of desperation.**_

_**Reviews are wonderful! :)**_


	6. Upside Down

_**Hey all! Hope you all are having a great holiday season! **_

_**Here's a new chapter just for all of you! I know it's a little short but I'm not ready to include the next scene, I need to go over it again and finalize some things.**_

_**Let me know what you think!  
>Reviews= writing fuel<strong>_

_**Enjoy! :)  
>Disclaimer: Oh my gosh I have written this thing so freaking many times, no I DO NOT OWN NANCY DREW OR THE HARDY BOYS OKAY? Don't sue me.<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Nancy, can we talk?" Jenna and Alexander were standing in the doorway of Nancy's room. It was the day after she had taken the car and she hadn't said a word to anyone since the confrontation the day before.<p>

Nancy slowly lowered her pencil, crystal blue eyes suspicious.

"We wanted to apologize."

Nancy's mouth literally fell open.

"You want to apologize to me?" she restated, certain she hadn't heard correctly.

"Yes." Alexander's face was serious. "We should have approached the situation last night in a more constructive fashion."  
>"We are disappointed by what happened, but we never want you to feel like we regret having you with us," Jenna added. "We know it's been a time of adjustment. For everyone."<p>

"I stole your car." Nancy stared at them.

"Yes. And it doesn't go without consequences of course. We've decided that you will be on dish duty this entire week, and grounded. That means you need to come home straight after school. Does that seem fair?" Alexander asked.

"Yes," Nancy stammered. She was utterly confused by what was happening. They were asking her if she thought it was fair? They wanted to make sure she knew they didn't regret having her with them? They were apologizing for how things went?

_What the hell was going on?_

"I... I thought you would call the social worker and tell them to take me back," Nancy suddenly admitted.

"Oh Nancy, no, we wouldn't do that." Jenna's brown eyes were anguished and she sat down next to Nancy. "You're a person. Everyone makes mistakes. We know you are a wonderful young lady. Whenever you're ready to let us in, we'll be happy to help however would be best for you."

When they left, Nancy sat silently on her bed for a good five minutes trying to figure out what had just happened.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Nancy, wait up!"<p>

Nancy's immediate reaction was to start running when she heard a name yelling her name, but she forced herself to stop and look around.

Frank Hardy was heading her way.

"What do you want?" Nancy shoved her hands into her pockets. She didn't have time to chitchat. She was on her way back from school and for some reason it seemed very important that she make sure she got back as soon as possible so she could show Jenna she was honoring her grounding.

She had been grounded probably a million times and never ever actually acted any different during that time. If anything, she usually made a point to go out more.  
>This was different for some reason.<p>

Frank seemed taken aback at her harsh manner.

"Well, I guess I'll just dive into it then. Joe told me about how he met you. Meeting with a drug dealer, last week..."

Nancy's face hardened and she turned and began walking away.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that, he said you helped him out. I wanted to thank you."

Nancy stopped.

_What was with all the weird situations lately?_

"Really?"

"Really." Frank's dark eyes were serious.

Nancy cautiously turned around.

"What did Joe tell you?"

"That you saved his butt and went after the dealer for targeting kids."

"Joe isn't a bad kid," Nancy finally said, looking down. "Don't be too hard on him for what he was up to."

"And how can you tell that he isn't a bad kid?" Frank asked curiously.

Nancy shrugged. "I just can. He doesn't hold himself in that certain way. I don't know."

"Well, I agree. He isn't." Frank stepped closer to Nancy. "And I don't think you're a bad kid either."

"You just heard I'm mixed in with a drug dealer that targets kids," Nancy's face was expressionless but her blue eyes were trained on Frank's.

"I try not to make quick judgments." Frank shoved his hands in his jeans. "I'm sure there's more to the story."

Nancy was silent.

"There is," she said finally. "Charlie and I were in a foster home together for a little while. He was seventeen, about to age out. I was maybe fourteen. I wouldn't trust that guy with a penny, but he isn't malicious. He's trying to make his way, just like all of us, and unfortunately he isn't doing it in good ways. I can't stop him but I can at least make sure he doesn't mess with little kids." Nancy crossed her arms and looked away.

"I'm sorry. That's tough."

Nancy shrugged. Her eyes drifted back to Frank's and she hesitated.

She had something she wanted to ask Frank. Something that would require her taking a step out of her comfort zone and actually _maybe_ trusting him.

It was beyond weird that she was even considering it. She barely knew this guy.

But her every interaction with him made her secretly admire his calm, rational attitude. And he seemed _good._ Full of integrity. Trustworthy. She had watched him for weeks in class, watched friend after friend come to him for help, people ask him for advice... He had listened to her story about Charlie, not jumped to conclusions...

And apparently he did detective work.

She might be able to use his help in trying to find Emily and Sophie. Actually she could definitely use his help. She was just a resourceless foster kid. Frank Hardy was the golden boy of the town.

However every bone in her body was telling her to retreat, not to trust others because that was how people got hurt.

But something was changing in her, ever since she had moved in with the Faynes.

"What?" Frank noticed how she was hesitating, as though she were going to say more, her crystal blue eyes a window to an inward battle. He watched, concerned, intrigued. Usually Nancy was so guarded and put together. This was his first real conversation with her and he was convinced there was a lot more to Nancy Parker than the hard shell she presented.

"I..." Nancy stammered. She never stammered. "I've got to go."

Frank watched her curiously as she walked briskly away and inwardly decided to initiate another conversation soon.

He had a feeling after several tries, he would be able to get through.

* * *

><p>It was three days after the car incident when George woke up about an hour after she fell asleep to the sound of stairs creaking.<p>

She got up, pulling on a sweatshirt, suddenly suspiciously certain she knew what was happening.

Sure enough, when she checked, Nancy's room was empty.

George ran up the stairs as quietly as she could. The garage door was just shutting.

_She's stealing our car again!_ George felt a surge of anger.

Quickly she calmed down. If she took her own car and followed Nancy, she could find out what where she was going.

George waited till Nancy pulled out before she ran across the yard to her own car, getting in and starting the engine.

Time to figure out what was going on.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Remember, Reviews= Catlover's happiness<em>**

**_Also cats=Catlover's happiness_**

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